I was recently developing some PowerPoints and activities for a comprehension training session about the role that text structure plays in reading comprehension. One of the related topics that is unfamiliar to many teachers was Cohesive Devices (sometimes called Cohesive Ties, and also known as anaphors). I thought I’d devote this post to explaining cohesive ties and how they might affect reading comprehension, especially for younger students or English language learners.

Cohesive devices are words or phrases used to connect ideas between different parts of text. There are three main types of cohesive devices:

• Pronouns that refer back to a previously mentioned noun.
  • Example: Jim went out to the playground. He played on the swings.

• Substitution of a synonym for a previously mentioned noun.
  • Example: There was a lot of food, but she only ate the bread.

• Transition words and inter-clausal connectors such as so or because
  • Example: Jim played on the swings. Later, Jim played ball.
  • Example: Mary was late, so she took the bus. Mary was late because she took the bus.